Quick Hits

posted by Jay -
Nov 21, 2017

According to a new poll, Pumpkin Pie is the by far America’s favorite Thanksgiving pie, a choice of 36% of people. It’s so popular that more than twice the amount of people chose pumpkin over its nearest competitor, Pecan Pie (17%). Pumpkin is most favored by Baby Boomers and folks in the West. As for the other pies, they rank in popularity as follows:

80% of human resource managers say whether someone sent a thank you note or not does factor into their hiring decisions. Only 24% of HR managers say they’ve received thank you notes, which is down from 51% in 2007. 94% of managers say an email is totally appropriate, while 86% say the same for a handwritten note.

Of course, if you are going to send a thank you note, you should do it right. Experts suggest customizing the message, and sending it within 24 hours of the interview. Also, make sure you proofread it so it doesn’t contain any grammatical mistakes that may hurt you, and most importantly, don’t be pushy. It’s okay to follow up with an employer if you haven’t heard anything in weeks, but do it in moderation.

75% of Americans plan to shop over the holiday weekend. Folks plan to spend an average of $427 between the holiday and Cyber Monday, which is up $27 from last year. 70% people say they plan to do their shopping in stores, while only 47% are shopping online, a decrease of 8% from last year.

As for what most people will be buying this holiday season, clothing and accessories are the top choices (65%), followed by electronics (55%) and toys and hobby items (47%).

When you’re busy making a huge holiday feast, it’s easy to get so bogged down with the menu that you don’t have time to think about decorating, much less make that amazing-looking cheese wreath you saw on Pinterest. But with these serving tips, your guests will be impressed and you won’t waste five hours in the process.

Use fancy-looking trays - Pull out those beautiful serving trays you got as wedding gifts and dust them off for the holidays. It’s the perfect way to display your artisanal cheese and wow your holiday guests.

Make big-batch cocktails- Dust off your punch bowl or borrow one from your mama and mix up a big batch of holiday cocktails instead of making them one at a time. It’s pretty, saves you time not playing bartender, and gives you a chance to make that festive drink you’ve been wanting to try.

Go mini with the desserts - What’s better than a freshly baked pie? A tiny version of that pie. Your guests will be wowed by cute mini pies instead of a regular eight-inch one.

Label everything- Make labels so your guests know what they’re about to eat and drink, they’ll love it and you won’t have to spend the day repeating which dish is gluten-free or vegetarian.

When in doubt, put a sprig on it - If that seltzer looks too plain to serve, toss a rosemary sprig in it and it’s an instant holiday upgrade.